Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge on Thursday accused the government of bringing the amendment to the anti-paper leak law only to pacify the agitating youth and not to address the issue, while also criticising Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah for their absence from the House.
Speaking on the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026, Kharge said, "the government bowed down before students out of fear of losing 'kursi,' not to solve their problems."
Kharge's remarks came after Union Minister of State Jitendra Singh introduced the Bill in the Rajya Sabha for discussion, a day after it was passed by the Lok Sabha.
The Congress president said the government has not explained how it would conduct examinations that could prevent paper leaks. He added that provisions for higher fines, stricter punishment, and fast-track courts would not make any difference in cases of paper leaks.
What would make a difference, Kharge argued, is how the government conducts these examinations.
He added that unless institutions and the examination system are reformed and accountability is fixed, paper leaks will continue to occur, and "we will be discussing the same thing here again".
"Paper leaks hurt innocent students and their parents," Kharge said.
He asserted that Rahul Gandhi had raised the issue of paper leaks during his Bharat Jodo Yatra and that the Opposition had also demanded a stringent law in 2024, when the bill was first passed.
However, he alleged that the government enacted the law in haste for political reasons. "Now, within two years, you have to amend it. But it is still incomplete," Kharge said.
Congratulating the youth for forcing the government to remove Dharmendra Pradhan as Education Minister, Kharge said that because of their strong voice, along with the Opposition's protests in Parliament, the government finally bowed to their demands.
He claimed that PM Modi had to remove Pradhan to save his own chair.
Kharge criticised the government's unwillingness to engage in dialogue, saying young people seeking discussions were labelled anti-nationals, lathi-charged, tear-gassed, and injured so severely by pellet guns that many required ICU admission.
He added that the government should have presented the "truth" about the July 20 incidents in Parliament, saying students would "teach them a lesson once again" if they continued to stay silent.
The Congress chief said that if Shah could not answer questions about who ordered the lathi-charge and tear-gas attack on students and who the people in plain clothes beating students were, then he should resign.
"Our Home Minister Amit Shah is not visible... he speaks over small issues, goes everywhere but not coming here. Even the PM is not speaking. You are the Home Minister, oversees law and order and so much happened in Delhi but you didn't open your mouth. You should have spoken openly. Sometimes, you have to face insult too for country's betterment," he said.
Kharge also raised the issue of police action in states such as West Bengal and Bihar, alleging that students there were fired upon with AK-47 rifles.
"I felt ashamed. I don't know if he felt ashamed. Who is responsible for the atrocities against students?" he asked, before adding: "People's power will drag him (Amit Shah) out."
The Congress chief further alleged that paper leaks had occurred several times across the country during the Modi government's tenure, but the government remained asleep.
He also claimed that the main accused in the 2024 NEET paper leak case was given a clean chit.
